jdhmnovel Chapter 182 Lin Daiyu's younger brother in Dream of the Red Chamber 15
Chapter 182 Lin Daiyu's younger brother in Dream of the Red Chamber 15
After Lin Daiyu's poetry club was completed, life returned to normal. Then came Xue Baochai's coming-of-age ceremony, and Grandmother Jia specially set aside twenty taels of silver to hold a birthday banquet for Xue Baochai.
What could twenty taels of silver possibly do for such a large family as the Rongguo Mansion? In the end, it was Wang Xifeng who managed to scrape together some silver to hold a reasonably decent birthday banquet.
Grandmother Jia hadn't held a birthday celebration for Xue Baochai in previous years, but she did this year to tell Xue Baochai that she was getting old and should move out. She pointed out that even the Lin family, who were closely related to the Jia family, had moved out, but the Xue family was still clinging on.
Lin Daiyu was naturally invited. During the event, an incident occurred where a young female opera singer resembled Lin Daiyu. Wang Xifeng deliberately brought her out for them to see and asked her in public. Everyone remained silent, except for Shi Xiangyun, who said, "She looks like Sister Lin."
The atmosphere became extremely awkward. Bai Qing spoke up directly: "Reporting to the old lady, now that such a thing has happened, I will ask for this young lady on behalf of our young lady. Please do not be stingy, old lady."
Lin Daiyu sat demurely, her expression unchanged, completely unaffected by what had just happened, and looked at them with a smile.
"That was my original intention, so please don't be stingy, Ancestor."
When Lin Daiyu spoke up, Grandmother Jia naturally wouldn't refuse and directly took the initiative to give Lin Daiyu the young actress's indenture.
The young actress looked unwell. Who would have thought that after performing a play and having a different master, even heavy makeup couldn't hide her pale complexion?
After the matter was resolved, Shi Xiangyun's face darkened. She had never liked Lin Daiyu to begin with, and now that this had happened, their relationship had become even more strained. To make matters worse, Jia Baoyu was still giving her meaningful glances.
After the birthday banquet ended and they returned to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Shi Xiangyun packed her things while talking, and Jia Baoyu tried to persuade her.
"Hurry up and pack all the clothes," Shi Xiangyun said angrily.
The maidservant that Grandmother Jia gave to Shi Xiangyun advised, "What's the rush? You can pack up when you leave. There's still time."
Seeing that the maid didn't make a move, Shi Xiangyun took out her bundle and packed it up, saying coldly, "We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning."
When Jia Baoyu tried to stop him, he slapped him and said through gritted teeth, "What do you mean by looking at other people's noses and eyes here?"
Jia Baoyu advised, "Good sister, no one else said anything when they saw it, but you said it out loud. Now you've offended Sister Lin. I'm only doing this for your own good."
Shi Xiangyun wasn't buying it and retorted directly: "You're just good at sweet talk. I don't fall for it. Humph! I'm not as good as your Lin Daiyu. I'm not worthy to talk about her."
Walking up to Jia Baoyu, Shi Xiangyun said sarcastically, "She is the mistress, and I am just a servant girl. I can't say anything to her, humph!"
Jia Baoyu made another vow, but before he could finish, Shi Xiangyun interrupted him and left with her bundle.
He wanted to go and say a few words to Lin Daiyu, but unfortunately she wasn't at the Rongguo Mansion. After returning to the Lin Mansion, he was lost in thought for a while, feeling increasingly uneasy.
The servants of the Rongguo Mansion didn't spread any news; I wonder if it was being spread secretly?
Back at the Lin family home, Lin Daiyu was sullen. Bai Qing took it upon herself to have Yueya rename the young actress Mo Mei and take her away to be a second-class maid. Mo Mei would probably never be able to leave the Lin family home for the rest of her life.
In ancient times, women's names were highly valued. There was once a courtesan who looked like a young lady from a wealthy family. A rogue accidentally learned about her and spread the news, completely ruining the young lady's reputation. As a result, large families paid great attention to this matter afterward.
Lin Daiyu's pale face was because she knew what was going on. In the original story, she didn't quite understand the intricacies of the situation, but now that she's been in charge of the household for so long, she knows everything and is afraid that she will bring shame to the Lin family.
After this matter was settled, Lin Daiyu did not visit the Rongguo Mansion for a long time.
Lin Jiyu studied at the Imperial Academy, where he had many outstanding classmates and maintained a comfortable but not overly close relationship with some of them.
Another year passed, and Lin Daiyu was now fifteen years old. Lin Ruhai had examined several boys of the same age as Lin Daiyu and decided on Wei Chi. The main reason was that Wei Chi's father, Wei Feng, had been transferred back to the capital this year. Lin Ruhai had a friendship with Wei Feng, and now that he knew that Lin Ruhai's daughter was not engaged, he had some thoughts. Wei Chi had a good character and no bad habits.
Although Lin Ruhai loved his son and daughter dearly, he was still a parent in ancient times, hoping that his son and daughter would get married.
In the courtyard of Berlin.
"Sigh!" Lin Jiyu sighed as she stood in front of her desk.
The imperial examinations in ancient times were not something ordinary people could pass. Although he had a good memory, the imperial examinations had been going on for so many years that ordinary knowledge had long been tested. The current imperial examinations would include some obscure questions. Even if Lin Jiyu had a good memory, who knew what strange questions the examiners would ask?
This year, his father plans to have him take the provincial examination. If he passes, he will become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination); if he fails, he will have to wait three years.
"Mozhu, why do you think the questions for this provincial examination are so strange?" Lin Jiyu murmured.
Mo Zhu looked up, her hands still busy, and replied, "Grandpa, if it weren't difficult, there wouldn't be so many scholars who failed the imperial examinations."
Lin Jiyu didn't expect Mozhu to say anything; he just complained briefly. Lin Ruhai used his connections to get him past provincial examination papers.
Recently, Lin Jiyu has been working on these questions in his study. He has taken leave from the Imperial Academy, as have many other students who are taking the exams this year, and they are going home to prepare.
In early March, Lin Jiyu and another student from the Imperial Academy who was also taking the exam in Suzhou set off for Suzhou. The weather was slightly chilly in the morning, just after the cold snap of early spring.
"Remember to wear more clothes. Although the weather is warmer, it's still cold. Don't wear yourself out." Lin Daiyu tied Lin Jiyu's cloak around her neck.
Lin Jiyu lowered his head slightly, his eyes filled with trust for his sister. He was already a head taller than Lin Daiyu, but he was still Lin Daiyu's good younger brother.
He was constantly being nagged by his sister, but he didn't find it annoying.
"I know, sister. You should go back now. The weather is damp and cold. Don't get sick, sister," Lin Jiyu said with concern.
Lin Daiyu stood there, and even after Lin Jiyu disappeared from sight, she remained there in a daze.
"Miss, let's go back!" Zijuan said softly, supporting Lin Daiyu.
Bai Qing and Lin Li (Lin Da) became pregnant last year, so they stepped down from Daiyu's side to prepare for childbirth. Now, Lin Daiyu's head maids are Zijuan, Yueya, Xialu, and Qiugui.
Yueya and Qiugui are almost seventeen years old and are probably getting engaged. Lin Daiyu is already training new head maids, which means she will promote a few from the second-class maids, but she still needs to do some research.
Zijuan is now Lin Daiyu's most favored head maid, helping Lin Daiyu manage all the affairs of the mansion.
"Hmph, you little brat, how dare you make decisions for me!" Lin Daiyu muttered.
After saying that, following Zijuan's instructions, she slowly returned to the courtyard. Lin Ruhai had to go to the government office to handle some business today, so only Lin Daiyu saw Lin Jiyu off. Of course, she didn't see him off at the dock, but only at the entrance of the Lin residence.
After boarding the ship, Lin Jiyu first greeted Mo Ziqian, who was traveling with him, and chatted for a few words. Mo Ziqian was already twenty-five years old and had already participated in the provincial examination once. His father was a minor official of the fifth rank. He was handsome but a bit pedantic.
He didn't say much to Mo Ziqian, and went back to his room after the official ship set sail.
After taking a boat to Yangzhou, he would then take a carriage to Suzhou. The boat trip would be half a month faster, and the entire journey would be ten days shorter.
When Lin Jiyu arrived in Suzhou, the old steward of the old Suzhou residence came out to greet her. The old residence had already been tidied up, so Lin Jiyu settled in with peace of mind. He then asked Mo Shu to thoroughly investigate the shops and land deeds of the old residence.
Although Lin Jiyu trusted the old steward, everyone has desires. If the Lin family stayed in the capital and couldn't keep an eye on the servants at the old house, the servants might become bold and reckless and engage in illegal activities.
During Lin Jiyu's exam preparation period, Mo Shu, accompanied by several servants, inspected the site one by one.
After staying at the old house for a few days, the provincial examination began.
"Sir, there are a lot of people ahead. We'll probably have to get off here," Mo Zhu said.
Lin Jiyu lifted the curtain and saw a dense crowd of people and carriages. The imperial examination was indeed pursued by the world. Lin Jiyu even saw some elderly people with white hair, probably around fifty years old, who were still taking the provincial examination.
"Get off here!" Lin Jiyu said calmly.
After getting off the carriage, Mo Zhu followed behind Lin Jiyu with her exam materials in hand, while the carriage was moved aside by the servant.
After a quarter of an hour, the long queue began to slowly move. When Lin Jiyu saw that it was almost her turn, Mozhu handed the items to her.
"Go back first, and come back to wait in nine days," Lin Jiyu instructed.
At the entrance to the examination hall, a fierce-looking official was conducting inspections. The person in front of him was even breaking his steamed bun into small pieces, yet he dared not voice his opinion.
When Lin Jiyu arrived, he subtly handed the official a packet of silver. The official's expression softened considerably, and after a brief inspection, he allowed Lin Jiyu to enter.
Once inside, Lin Jiyu saw his number; it was in the second row, a good spot, not next to any undesirable numbers. He checked the exam area; there were no bugs or centipedes, and the ceiling was intact. There was a moldy blanket, which Lin Jiyu folded and placed beside him. He had brought a fur coat, just enough to sleep in.
After everyone entered, an examiner came in and had the exam papers distributed. The exam papers were distributed together. The exam lasted for nine days, and the exam schedule was arranged directly. The papers were collected after nine days, and only then could people leave the exam room.
After the test paper was found, the scriptures on it were relatively simple. Lin Jiyu wrote down the answers on the draft paper. Before he had finished half of it, it was getting dark. With only dry food and candlelight, Lin Jiyu wrote down a few questions and decided to finish the rest tomorrow.
While Lin Jiyu was resting, the person next to her was still flipping through the test papers. Lin Jiyu sighed inwardly, "These are really difficult papers!"
Lin Jiyu didn't sleep well all night. As dawn broke, she stood up, stretched, and continued writing yesterday's questions by candlelight. After finishing, she slowly wrote them into the exam paper.
His poetry was alright; it was about "Looking at the Remaining Snow on Zhongnan Mountain." Although he wasn't very good at it, he had written a few poems before, and after revising them according to the sentence structure, he slowly wrote them on the exam paper.
I completed all the historical essay questions, policy questions, and policy discussion questions, and copied them into the exam paper. By the time I finished all of this, nine days had quietly passed.
The drum above struck three times, and the officials began to shout, telling them to put down their pens and start collecting the papers. Ten officials collected the papers from the beginning, and after the examiner finished checking them, he walked out of the examination room first, and only then did the candidates dare to slowly leave the examination room.
As Lin Jiyu walked out of the examination room, he could no longer maintain his composure. For the past nine days, a fellow examinee next to him had been snoring so loudly that he hadn't been able to sleep well.
Mo Zhu, with her sharp eyes, spotted Lin Jiyu at a glance, stepped forward to help him up, and slowly walked towards the carriage. Lin Jiyu, mustering his strength, returned to the old house, took a simple bath, ate something, and went to bed to sleep.
Lin Jiyu slept soundly for a day and a night before waking up. Mozhu was waiting outside. She hadn't brought any maids with her to take the provincial examination, since one shouldn't be too extravagant during an exam.
"Grandpa, you're finally awake! If you hadn't woken up, we would have had to go and call the doctor," Mo Zhu said softly.
"How long have I been asleep?" Lin Jiyu asked.
“It’s been a whole day and night, the old man must be hungry. I’ll go get some easily digestible food.” Mo Zhu replied honestly, pouring Lin Jiyu a cup of tea.
After a simple meal, Lin Jiyu remembered the instructions she had given Mo Shu before going to Suzhou and asked Mo Zhu, "Where is Mo Shu? Go and call him here. I have something to ask him."
Mo Zhu responded and soon went into the inner room.
Lin Jiyu asked, "How's the investigation going?"
Mo Shu glanced at Lin Jiyu, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Lin Jiyu frowned and scolded, "Hurry up and speak! What can't you say?"
Mo Shu said nervously, "As instructed by Master Lin, we inspected the shops and land deeds one by one. Most of the shops were fine, but... Li Rong, the nephew-in-law of Old Steward Lin, embezzled a lot of money from the shops, forcibly abducted a famous woman, and seized the estate. It took me a lot of effort to find out about this."
As expected, after a long period of supervision, the servants of this old house started to act as their own masters.
"Go directly to the authorities and have this ungrateful servant arrested," Lin Jiyu said coldly.
He didn't want to bother with those troublemakers; he'd rather wipe them all out at once, which would also serve as a deterrent to the remaining servants.
The Lin family mansion has become quite lively these past few days, with many servants being arrested or sold off.
After settling things at home, the results of the provincial examination came out. Mo Zhu had already gone to guard the list. When the officials came out to post it, Mo Zhu started reading from the beginning. When he saw that Lin Jiyu's name was in third place, he shouted with joy.
Those around who heard this looked at Mo Zhu with envy. Mo Zhu stepped back and ran towards the Lin family's old house.
"Grandpa, we won! We won! We're third place!" Mo Zhu's voice echoed throughout the Lin family.
Lin Jiyu, who was busy with his affairs in the study, smiled faintly. This ink bamboo is still not mature enough and is not as steady as the ink book.
When Mo Zhu arrived at the study, he immediately knelt down to pay his respects and then said, "Master has won; he came in third place."
Lin Jiyu nodded, then asked, "Did Mo Ziqian, who returned to Suzhou with me, pass the exam?"
Mo Zhu quickly replied, "Uncle Mo, you also passed, but you were among the last few."